Surveillance System Workstation

1. A workstation for a surveillance system comprising a display, a user input device and a control unit in communication with said display and said user input device, said user input device having a plurality of keys and a light source to light said keys with a plurality of different colors, said control unit generating an image on said display that has a plurality of differently colored icons with each of said icons symbolizing a function to be performed by said control unit, said control unit generating a control signal to said user input device causing said light source to light said plurality of keys in said user input device in colors corresponding to the colors of said icons in said image on said display, and said control unit performing the control function corresponding to a particular icon from said plurality of differently colored icons when a user activates a key from said plurality of keys having the color that corresponds to the color of the particular icon, wherein in response to a user activating one of said plurality of lighted keys on said user input device, said control unit generates a second image on said display that has a plurality of differently colored icons with at least some of said icons symbolizing a different function to be performed by said control unit than in the previous image displayed on said display.

2. A workstation as recited in claim 1 , wherein said control unit generates a control signal to said user input device causing said light source to light said plurality of keys in said user input device in the same color order as the colors of said icons in said image on said display.

3. A workstation as recited in claim 1 , wherein said light source comprises a light emitting diode.

4. A workstation as recited in claim 3 , wherein said light emitting diode comprises red, blue and green light emitting diodes.

5. A workstation for a surveillance system comprising a display, a user input device and a control unit in communication with said display and said user input device, said user input device having a plurality of keys and a light source to light said keys with a plurality of different colors, said control unit generating an image on said display that has a plurality of differently colored icons with each of said icons symbolizing a function to be performed by said control unit, said control unit generating a control signal to said user input device causing said light source to light said plurality of keys in said user input device in colors corresponding to the colors of said icons in said image on said display, and said control unit performing the control function corresponding to a particular icon from said plurality of differently colored icons when a user activates a key from said plurality of keys having the color that corresponds to the color of the particular icon, wherein in response to a user activating one of said plurality of colored icons in said image on said display, said control unit generates a second image on said display that has a plurality of differently colored icons with at least some of said icons symbolizing a different function to be performed by said control unit than in the previous image displayed on said display.

6. A workstation as recited in claim 5 , wherein said light source comprises a light emitting diode.

7. A workstation as recited in claim 6 , wherein said light emitting diode comprises red, blue and green light emitting diodes.

8. A workstation as recited in claim 5 , wherein said control unit generates a control signal to said user input device causing said light source to light said plurality of keys in said user input device in the same color order as the colors of said icons in said image on said display.

9. A workstation for a surveillance system comprising a display, a user input device and a control unit in communication with said display and said user input device, said user input device having a plurality of keys and a light source to light said keys, said control unit generating an image on said display that has a plurality of different icons with each of said icons symbolizing a function to be performed by said control unit, and said control unit generating a control signal when an alarm condition has occurred to cause the icon indicating the alarm condition on the screen to blink and generating a signal to cause said light source in said user input device to blink the light in the key that requires user input to release the alarm condition.

10. A workstation as recited in claim 9 , wherein control unit generates a control signal to display said icons with different colors on said display, and wherein said control unit generates a control signal to cause said light source to light the key that corresponds to the blinking icon in a color that corresponds to the color of the blinking icon.